Ears On The Enemy

Gaming has grown so much in popularity and you could say that it was attributed to e-Sports, and professionals need all they can get to beat their opponents. Thanks to that gaming peripherals have stormed the market, all of them promising domination of their opponents, or increasing their speed. We can’t really say if that’s what will happen, but what we can say is that using a quality mouse or keyboard does make gaming more fluid.

But what about a gaming headphone like the ROG STRIX Fusion 500? The ROG STRIX Fusion 500 wasn’t made just to let you listen to bullets and explosions. Built into the headphones is an ESS ES9018 DAC and SABRE9601K Amplifier, so this isn’t your regular headphone by far. A discrete DAC and Amplifier results in better overall sound performance, and we can vouch for it. Sound is great on the ROG STRIX Fusion 500 regardless whether you’re listening to music, watching movies or playing games.

Add Virtual 7.1 sound channels to the mix and you’ll get an immersive soundstage while gaming and watching movies. This headphone does a great job in mapping out footsteps and other sounds which are vital while playing FPS games like CS:GO or Overwatch where knowing where your opponent is vital. Additionally, marathon gaming sessions are not an issue as the headphone has comfortable earpads, and they also do a good job at isolating sound form the outside. There’s also a digital boom mic that slots flush with the earcup, for easy stowing when not in use.

One of our favourite features was the built-in intuitive touch control. At first you’ll wonder where the volume control is, until you realise the earcup is a touch sensitive control pad. You can skip tracks, pause/play, and control the volume using simple gestures like swiping left to right and up to down. Also, if you’re a fan of RGB then the Fusion 500 is the headphone for you, as it support ASUS’ Aura Sync RGB. You’ll also be glad to know that the Fusion 500 supports cross-platform use, which means it’s usable on PC, Nintendo Switch, and USB enabled mobile devices.

CHIP CONCLUDE: A great headphone to pick up if you game across multiple platforms, and the touch intuitive control added together with great design are other things that makes it hard to resist.